Bottle cap



Sept. 8, 1970 w. SACHAU 3,528,091

BOTTLE CAP Filed March 13, 1968 INVENTOQ WERNER SACHAU ATTORNEYS 3,528,091 BOTTLE CAP Werner Sachau, Hamburg, Germany, assignor to Tivoli Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Hamburg-Eidelstedt, Germany Filed Mar. 13, 1968, Ser. No. 712,801 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 15, 1967, T 33,443 Int. Cl. B6511 41/22 US. Cl. 215-41 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is a combination capand plug-type closure for bottles, jars, and similar containers. Basically, the closure of this invention is formed of an outer cap section of hard plastic material and an inner centrally disposed plug section of soft plastic material.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates broadly to the field of closure devices for bottles, jars, and similar containers. More particularly, the closure device of this invention is a combined cap-type and plug-type closure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART The basic concept of providing plastic bottle caps is well known in the art at present. In addition, the idea of designing a bottle cap to function as both a cap-type closure and a plug-type stopper is also presently known. At present, the majority of the bottle stoppers combining the dual character of a cap and stopper are formed of a single material.

There are, however, combination cap and plug type plastic bottle stoppers which are formed of hard plastic cap sections and softer plastic plug sections. An example of this construction is seen in US. Pat. 3,285,451, issued to Erich Golde (Nov. 15, 1966). Basically, these bottle stoppers are difficult to assemble and, as a consequence, are not suitable for automated mechanical sealing of bottles with rapidly running equipment. In addition, the design of the presently known combination cap and plug type bottle stoppers fails to provide a reliable means for maintaining connection between the cap and plug section. Also, these bottle stoppers have crevices or spaces between the respective parts which facilitate accumulation of contaminant that precludes reuse and in some cases acts to weaken the connection of the parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a combined cap-type and stopper bottle closure which will provide the advantage of a substantially rigid cap design and a deformable elastic stopper design.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reliable, reuseable and easily assemblable combined cap-type and stopper bottle closure wherein the cap section is formed of hard plastic while the stopper section is formed of a soft, elastically deformable plastic material.

These and other objects are realized by forming a bottle cap of hard plastic material and providing it with means for attaching a cylindrically shaped soft plastic stopper section to the cap interior. Basically, the attachment means comprise an inner, centrally disposed attachment ring integrally formed with the cap and optionally an annular recess in the cap interior surrounding the attachment ring. The plug-type section is substantially cylindrically shaped and attaches to the cap section by the attachment ring. The plug section is adapted to be inserted in the annular recess in the cap and has an inner flange 3,528,091 Patented Sept. 8., 1970 around which the attachment ring is designed to fit. After properly locating the plug section around the attachment ring the latter is upset and deformed to effect a mating attachment flange for the plug section inner flange. The

mating flanges may further be bonded together along their common surfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described further by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the hard plastic cap section of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the soft plastic stopper section of the bottle closure of this invention; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the assembled bottle cap of this invention shown mounted on a bottle opening in sealed relationship therewith.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As best seen in FIG. 1, the outer cap section 1 of the bottle closure is comprised of a cover 2 having a depending skirt 3 which terminates in an inner annular bead 4. In addition, the cap section 1 also has integrally formed therewith a centrally disposed attachment ring 5 which depends downwardly from the inner surface of the cap 1 and an annular recess 6 surrounding the attachment ring 5. The annular recess 6 is designed to accommodate the plug section 7 of the closure and to this end, its outer annular wall 9 is contoured to flare outwardly at an angle. The cap section 1 is formed of hard plastic to facilitate prolonged storage of carbonated fluids without deforming. In practice it has been found that low pressure polyethylene or polypropylene have the properties of rigidity and durability that are required for the cap section of this invention.

The plug section 7 of the closure, best seen in FIG. 2, is formed of a soft plastic material. In practice, it has been found that high-pressure polyethylene such as Lupolen V (a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate) has the elastically deformable characteristics necessary for the plug section 7. As best seen in FIG. 2, the plug section is formed with an inner flange 10 provided with a shoulder 8 which flange 10 is designed to fit in the recess 6 of the hard plastic cap member. The outer surface of the annular body 11 of plug member 7 is arcuately contoured. Specifically, the diameter of the outer surface of the plug section increases from shoulder 8 to the point of maximum diameter and then converges to the lower extremity where the diameter is the smallest. This design gives the invention increased varsatility since it enables the closure to effectively seal container openings over a relatively large number of diameters since the plug itself has a number of diameters that can fit the opening of a bottle.

To construct the combination stopper and cap-type closure, the plug section 7 is inserted in the annular recess 6 on the hard plastic closure member with the attachment ring 5 projecting through the opening in flange 10. Subsequently, the section of the attachment ring 5 which extends below the flange 10 is upset to form a flange 5a which abuts the lower surface of the flange 10. With three surfaces now common to the cap section 1 and the plug section 7, the cap and plug can be permanently bonded together to form the closure member of the invention. Bonding of any of the common sides will effect connection between the cap section 1 and plug section 7, however, bonding of all the common surfaces will afford the most reliable connection. It has been found that any form of bonding, especially ultrasonic bonding, will afford a satisfactory bond. However, the bonding of the common surfaces is not essential to the invention, since adequate sealing is also obtained by merely flanging over the lower margin of the attachment ring 5 onto the lower surface of the inner flange 10 of the plug section 7.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the assembled closure member fits on a bottle 13 with the closure section I totally surrounding the bottle bead 12 and the inner plug member 7 conforming to the periphery of the inner diameter of the bottle opening.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been described as having particular application in sealing bottles. However, it should not be limited to that specific application since it is obvious that the basic design of the subject invention can be used to seal any container open ing having an attachment bead therearound.

What is claimed is:

1. A closure device for container openings having a neck bead the closure openings being of the type defined by a generally cylindrical inner surface terminating in a radially extending rim, the closure device comprising:

' a cap member of substantially stiff plastic having, a cover section adapted to seat directly on the rim of the container opening;

a bead engaging annular skirt depending from said cover section adapted to engage the neck bead,

a centrally disposed attachment ring depending from the inner surface of said cover section,

an outwardly extending marginal flange secured to the free end of said attachment ring,

4 a sealing ring of elastically deformable plastic having an inwardly extending attachment flange permanently secured between the inner surface of said cover section and said marginal flange; and an outer arcuate sealing surface on said sealing ring, said arcuate sealing surface adapted to engage the inner surface of container openings of differing size.

2. A closure device as. recited in claim 1 wherein the attachment flange is permanently bonded by adhesive to at least one adjacent surface of said cover section, said attachment ring and said marginal flange.

3. A closure device as in claim 2 wherein the inner surface of said cover section further includes an annular recess surrounding the attachment ring and adapted to receive adjacent portions of the attachment flange of the sealing ring.

4. A closure device as defined in claim 1, wherein the attachment flange is permanently bonded by ultrasonic welding to at least one adjacent surface of said cover section, said attachment ring and said marginal flange.

7 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,331,523 7/1967 Exton 2l540 GEORGE T. HALL, Primary Examiner 

